TIES Lessons for All: 5-15-45
Forty-five Minutes
“We have 45 minutes!” 45 minutes might be a time when you have a common planning period, when you have time after school, or when your students are with a specialist. You now have time to learn and do much, much more. Make sure you have your lesson, collaborative partner, and let’s make the most of this opportunity.
Discussion Guiding Questions | Success Indicators |
|---|---|
Content | |
What is the content you are teaching? What is the most essential content for all learners to know? | We have a mutual understanding of the essential content of this lesson or lessons. |
Instruction | |
What are the instructional strategies and activities? What instructional strategies and activities are most helpful for teaching the essential content? | We can ensure that our instructional activities teach the essential content. |
What is one barrier to learning we anticipate for our student with significant cognitive disabilities?
| We have identified at least one barrier for the student with significant cognitive disabilities. All learners can engage in meaningful conversations about the essential content with their teachers and peers. |
Now, let’s come up with one way to remove this barrier? | We are changing our instruction so that it removes/reduces barriers. |
Maximize your impact: How could other students benefit from this new instructional strategy or option? | We have considered how this new instructional strategy or option could benefit all students. |
Let’s remove some more barriers. Where do you expect students to get stuck? Are there places where you will need to reinforce through pre-teaching or re-teaching? Where do you want students to focus their attention and problem solve? | We are changing our instruction so that it removes many barriers, but still allows for “desirable difficulties” or “productive struggle.” |
How can all students have options to go through the lesson in a flexible way to build concepts and skills? What will success look like? | The learning experience now has multiple paths for students, including clear paths for your student with significant cognitive disabilities. |
Download printable discussion template (Google Doc)
Give Me Some Ideas and Resources!
Allison, a general education teacher, and Deb, a special education teacher, model use of the 45-minute guided discussion tool.
“I am ready to go beyond this lesson”
Super, you have more time. Let’s use it to think beyond making one great standards-based lesson to implementing your ideas across lessons or throughout units.